near to Ferrybridge, Wakefield, Great Britain

Ferrybridge Power Station

A 1960s 2000 MW coal burning power station that still has some life in it courtesy of flue gas desulphurisation and low Nox combustion arrangements. The two chimneys are 650' tall. Between them the lattice tower supports the exhausts from two open cycle gas turbines that can augment the grid or perform a 'black start' on the station. A black start is on a dead station with no external power, as happened in the south during the great storm of 1987. Between the chimneys and the boiler house are the electrostatic precipitators. On the extreme left is part of the flue gas desulphurisation plant.

The two little towers at the foot of the left hand chimney resemble chemical plant - because they are. These are a pilot carbon capture plant using an amine solvent method to capture 100 tonnes of carbon per day. This is apparently equivalent to 5 MWs worth. The captured carbon dioxide is then stripped back out of the solvent and squirted up the chimney! In a proper carbon capture and storage plant the carbon dioxide would be compressed and piped down a hole in the ground - most probably a North Sea oilfield.

Walking around the outside of a site like this is very time consuming and I ran out of time to seek out as many angles as I would have liked.

This photo is linked from:

Discussion on SE4724

These power stations are impressive close up but can be seen from huge distances when conditions are clear.
For example, Ferrybridge power station from Blakey Ridge on the North Yorkshire moors.
SE6895 : Drax Power station from Blakey Ridge